Ernst: Compromise to save Warm Mineral Springs

The former secretary of the Florida Department of Community Affairs had to referee, but political leaders of North Port and Sarasota County are once again working as partners in Warm Mineral Springs.

The big winners: the springs and the public.

First, judging by an all-day meeting on Wednesday, the city and county governments will keep the springs open after the June 30 deadline to find a new manager.

Second, they agree it's important to collect baseline data on the property's characteristics so they don't unwittingly damage it.

Third, they will solicit ideas on what, if any, changes to make on the 81-acre site, which is now, essentially, a public park, although one with a $20 admission charge.

The stakes are considerable. Warm Mineral Springs has archaeological and environmental attributes worthy of research and protection. And, its small, spring-fed, heated body of mineralized water attracts tourists, particularly Europeans, who believe in its healing powers.

The city and county bought the property to ensure its preservation, but in November, North Port Mayor Linda Yates, joined by commission newcomers Cheryl Cook and Rhonda DiFranco, surprised the county by announcing that the city wanted to sell its half of the partnership.

On Wednesday, their reasoning finally became clear. They feared the county was pushing for an investor to erect a big hotel on the undeveloped portion of the site.

Well, they weren't all wrong. In fact, county Commissioner Joe Barbetta said as far as he was concerned, the idea of not having a hotel was a deal-breaker.

The meeting might have broken up right then, except that former DCA chief Steven Seibert, called in as facilitator in the county's last-ditch effort to avoid going to court, kept pushing for areas of agreement.

DiFranco, pressed by county Commissioner Christine Robinson, also exhibited a bit of statesmanship by admitting she could back off her vote to sell if the two sides could set new rules on how to handle the solicitation for development ideas.

But make no mistake. This hotel thing — as well as any potential commercial construction on the property — is a major, major, major point of contention.

It's become pretty clear that although the public generally favored the purchase, people had radically different ideas about what should happen afterward.

The conflict isn't North Port vs. Sarasota County so much as those who espouse leaving the 81 acres practically untouched vs. those who want to develop it.

Yes, discussions leading up to the purchase emphasized not only preservation but also the possibilities for economic development based on eco-tourism.

Of course, economic development can take limitless forms.

The simplest might be to spruce up the property and existing buildings, add some trails and beef up the marketing. More elaborate plans might call for hotels, medical complexes, research centers or other uses that would require extensive private investment and some loss of control for the public.

Maybe a little of both could work.

For instance, the do-nothings might accept a small hotel nestled on the edge of the property, as far from the actual springs as possible.

Or the build-anythings might approve the proposal of Grigory Pogrebinsky. He hopes to build a hotel, conference center, spa, medical plaza, shops and an adult living center on 16 acres he owns adjacent to Warm Mineral Springs. That would leave the 81-acre springs land as is.

It might take some compromise to make this work. As Seibert put it, "Utilize the magic of dialogue rather than the magic of litigation."